U-loop air handling apparatus

Abstract

A U-loop air handling apparatus adapted to receive air from a surrounding environment for conditioning and channeling thereof to return ducts. The conditioning includes cooling and filtration thereof such as to be specifically usable in high technology areas requiring extremely clean working conditions. The apparatus includes a fan operatively positioned between an intake section and an output section. The intake section includes a reducing section for receiving air and passing this air through a pre-filter and a cooling coil. Condensation is removed at the cooling coil and a cross sectional area of the channel of air travel is narrowed to a smaller diameter by the reducing section. A fan box receives the conditioned air from the reducing section where it is carried through an inlet box and bell member into the fan. The fan powers the air outwardly into an acoustical box which channels the air parallel and in an opposite direction with respect to the direction of movement of the air within the intake section. The acoustical box carries the air through a damper box to prevent back flow and outwardly through a transition box to return to the environment. The various air carrying members are internally lined with acoustical insulation to minimize transmission of sound and vibration outwardly into the environment resulting from air movement or from the operation of the fan. Also the fan itself is separated vibrationally and acoustically from a portion of the intake section and a portion of the output section by flexible connecting means of rubber-like material, preferably neoprene. Further isolation is provided by independent support means being provided for the fan box and for the reducing section and for the acoustical box.

I claim: 
     
       1. A U-loop air handling apparatus, for handling and conditioning air from an environment to be treated, comprising: (a) a fan means including a fan inlet opening and a fan outlet opening, said fan means being operable to receive air through said fan inlet opening for exhausting thereof through said fan outlet opening;   (b) an intake section adapted to receive air for supplying thereof to said fan inlet opening of said fan means, said intake section comprising: (1) a reducing section comprising: (a) a reducing section output means for expelling air from said reducing section;   (b) a reducing section input means for receiving low velocity air from the treated environment, said reducing section output means being of smaller cross-sectional area than said reducing section input means;   (c) a cooling means positioned within said reducing section to lower the temperature of air moving therethrough;   (d) a filter means positioned within said reducing section to remove contaminants from the air moving therethrough;     (2) a first flexible connecting means of flexibly resilient material secured with respect to said reducing section output means;   (3) a fan box means including a box inlet means and a box outlet means, said box outlet being secured with respect to said fan inlet opening, said box inlet means being secured with respect to said first flexible connecting means to acoustically and vibrationally isolate said reducing section from said fan box means;   (4) a bell means including a bell inlet means and a bell outlet means, said bell outlet means being of a smaller cross-sectional area than said bell inlet means to facilitate flow of air, said bell inlet means being attached with respect to said box outlet means to receive air flow therefrom, said bell outlet means being secured with respect to said fan inlet opening to supply air flow thereto;   (5) an intake section mounting means secured with respect to said intake section and adapted to resiliently secure said intake section with respect to the surrounding environmental structure;     (c) an output section adapted to receive conditioned air from said fan outlet opening for expelling same from the U-loop handling apparatus into the treated environment, said outlet section comprising: (1) a second flexible connector means attached with respect to said fan outlet opening;   (2) an acoustical box means including an acoustical box inlet means and an acoustical box outlet means, said acoustical box inlet means being attached with respect to said second flexible connector means to acoustically and vibrationally isolate said fan means therefrom;   (3) an output transition box including a transition inlet means and a transition outlet means, said transition inlet means being attached with respect to said acoustical box outlet means to receive conditioned air therefrom, said transition outlet means being adapted to supply conditioned air directly to the treated environment;   (4) an output section mounting means secured with respect to said output section and adapted to resiliently secure said output section with respect to the surrounding environmental structure; and   (5) a damper box positioned within said output section and extending across the path of air flow therethrough to prevent backflow of air therein.     
     
     
       2. The U-loop air handling apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said output section extends generally parallel with respect to said intake section with the path of air travel being in the opposite direction with respect to one another. 
     
     
       3. The U-loop air handling apparatus as defined in claim 2 wherein said fan means is oriented generally vertically to move air upwardly from said bell outlet means to said second flexible connecting means. 
     
     
       4. The U-loop air handling apparatus as defined in claim 3 wherein said fan box outlet means is oriented at approximately 90 degrees with respect to said fan box inlet means to change the direction of movement of air entering therein from horizontal to vertical for entering said bell means. 
     
     
       5. The U-loop air handling apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said fan box means defines an access opening defined therein to facilitate access to the interior thereof, said fan box means further including an access door extending over said access opening to selectively open and close said access opening. 
     
     
       6. The U-loop air handling apparatus as defined in claim 5 wherein said fan box means further includes an access door handle to facilitate movement of said access door between the open and closed positions. 
     
     
       7. The U-loop air handling apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said bell means extends from sid bell inlet means upwardly and inwardly toward said bell outlet means. 
     
     
       8. The U-loop air handling apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said filter means comprises a pre-filter means extending across said reducing section inlet means to filter air prior to entry into said reducing section. 
     
     
       9. The U-loop air handling apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said cooling means comprises a cooling-coil means including cooling fluid carried therein and extending across said reducing section to cool air traveling therethrough. 
     
     
       10. The U-loop air handling apparatus as defined in claim 9 wherein said cooling fluid comprises water. 
     
     
       11. The U-loop air handling apparatus as defined in claim 9 wherein said cooling fluid comprises DX fluid. 
     
     
       12. The U-loop air handling apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said reducing section includes a condensate pan located therein below said cooling means to collect condensed water vapor from the cool air traveling therethrough. 
     
     
       13. The U-loop air handling apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said acoustical box includes acoustical insulation means extending about the interior walls thereof to minimize sound transmission to the surrounding environment. 
     
     
       14. The U-loop air handling apparatus as defined in claim 13 wherein said fan box means, said reducing section, said bell means and said output transition box each include acoustical insulation means extending about the interior walls thereof to minimize sound transmission to the surrounding environment. 
     
     
       15. The U-loop air handling apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said backdraft damper includes damper plates to enhance backdraft damping. 
     
     
       16. The U-loop air handling apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said input section mounting means includes resilient pad means positioned beneath said reducing section. 
     
     
       17. The U-loop air handling apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said input section mounting means includes input spring mounting means positioned beneath said fan box means. 
     
     
       18. The U-loop air handling apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said output section mounting means includes output spring mounting means positioned above said acoustical box means for suspending same from the surrounding environmental structure. 
     
     
       19. The U-loop air handling apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said first flexible connecting means is of rubber-like material. 
     
     
       20. The U-loop air handling apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said second flexible connecting means is of rubber-like material. 
     
     
       21. The U-loop air handling apparatus as defined in claim 12 wherein said condensate pan includes a drain means therein to facilitate removal of collected water therefrom. 
     
     
       22. The U-loop air handling apparatus as defined in claim 14 wherein said acoustical insulation means comprises a long-fiber non-hydroscopic material. 
     
     
       23. A U-loop air handling apparatus, for handling and conditioning air from an environment to be treated, comprising: (a) a fan means including a fan inlet opening and a fan outlet opening, said fan means being operable to receive air through said fan inlet opening for exhausting thereof through said fan outlet opening;   (b) an intake section adapted to receive air for supplying thereof to said fan inlet opening of said fan means, said intake section extending generally horizontally, said intake section comprising: (1) a reducing section comprising: (a) a reducing section output means for expelling air from said reducing section;   (b) a reducing section inlet means for receiving low velocity air from the treated environment, said reducing section output means being of smaller cross-sectional area than said reducing section inlet means;   (c) a cooling coil means positioned within said reducing section to lower the temperature of air moving therethrough, said cooling coil means adapted to carry cooling fluid therein;   (d) a condensate pan located below said cooling coil means to collect condensed water vapor therefrom, said condensate pan including a drain means defined therein to facilitate removal of collected water vapor therefrom;   (e) a pre-filter means extending across said reducing section inlet means to remove contaminants from air prior to entering said reducing section;   (f) acoustical insulation means extending about the interior of said reducing section to minimize sound transmission to the surrounding environment;     (2) a first flexible connecting means of flexibly resilient material secured with respect to said reducing section output means, said first flexible connector means being made of rubber-like material;   (3) a fan box including a box inlet means and a box outlet means, said box outlet means being oriented at approximately 90 degrees with respect to said box inlet means to expel air from said fan box means upwardly therefrom, said box outlet being secured with respect to said fan inlet opening, said box inlet means being secured with respect to said first flexible connecting means to acoustically and vibrationally isolate said reducing section from said fan box means, said fan box means further including acoustical insulation means extending about the interior thereof to minimize sound transmission to the surrounding environment, said fan box means defining an access opening therein to facilitate access to the interior thereof, said fan box means further including: (a) an access door extending across said access opening and adapted to be movable between a closed position extending thereacross and an open position spaced therefrom;   (b) an access handle means attached with respect to said access door to facilitate movement thereof between the closed position and the open position;     (4) a bell means including a bell inlet means and a bell outlet means, said bell outlet means being of a smaller cross-sectional area than said bell inlet means to facilitate flow of air, said bell means extending upwardly and inwardly from said bell inlet means to said bell outlet means, said bell inlet means being attached with respect to said box outlet means to receive air flow therefrom, said bell outlet means being secured with respect to said fan inlet opening to supply air flow thereto, said bell means further including acoustical insulation means extending about the interior thereof to minimize sound transmission to the surrounding environment;   (5) an intake section mounting means secured with respect to said intake section and adapted to resiliently secure said intake section with respect to the surrounding environmental structure, said intake section mounting means further comprising: (a) resilient pad means positioned beneath said reducing section;   (b) input spring mounting means positioned beneath said fan box means;       (c) an output section adapted to receive conditioned air from said fan outlet opening for expelling same from the U-loop handling apparatus into the treated environment, said output section extending generally horizontally parallel to said intake section with the air traveling therein the opposite direction with respect thereto, said outlet section comprising: (1) a second flexible connector means attached with respect to said fan outlet opening, said second flexible connector means being made of rubber-like material;   (2) an acoustical box means including an acoustical box inlet means and an acoustical box outlet means, said acoustical box inlet means being attached with respect to said second flexible connector means to acoustically and vibrationally isolate said fan means therefrom, said acoustical box means further including acoustical insulation means extending about the interior thereof to minimize sound transmission to the surrounding environment;   (3) a damper box attached with respect to said acoustical box outlet means to prevent back flow of air therethrough, said damper box including damper plates to facilitate backdraft damping;   (4) an output transition box including a transition inlet and a transition outlet, said transition inlet being attached with respect to said damper box to receive condition air therefrom, said transition outlet being adapted to supply conditioned air directly to the treated environment, said output transition box further including acoustical insulation means extending about the interior thereof to minimize sound transmission to the surrounding environment; and   (5) an output section mounting means secured with respect to said output section and adapted to resiliently secure said output section with respect to the surrounding environmental structure, said output section mounting means including output spring mounting means positioned above said acoustical box means for suspending same from the surrounding environmental structure.